Hey guys so I've been following this forum for about 8 years and recently stopped checking it as, after 5 years of trial and error, I've managed to sort out my acne (along with a fair few other skin issues)

Firstly, a little background on my acne/general skin condition. Since I was 15 I have had acne pretty much all over my face (firstly just whiteheads/blackheads then cysts on my cheeks), on my back (most severe here) and on my shoulders. I also had pretty severe keratosis pilaris (aka chicken skin) all over my arms and some eczema on my hands and behind my ears. Not great!!

Things I've tried and that either didn't work or had side effects I didn't like.

Tetracycline - only worked on my face

BP - made my skin too dry and wasn't sustainable for me.

A range of supplements

Pretty much every over counter medication, cream, toner and lotion I could try.

'Detoxing'

Going vegetarian

Essentially nothing worked or would offer only 50% improvement to a single condition. But I was convinced that something was fundamentally wrong with my diet or lifestyle and was leading to all these problems. And it was. After about 2 years of tweaking this is the only thing that completely knocks my skin complaints on the head. Really, it's been miraculous. For those of who are ready to give up and just accept your acne, the best piece of advice I can give you is to look at your diet. Closely. And change it. It can't hurt to try!

So hear is what I did.

1. Cut out all wheat (I don't eat carbs at all but that's just because I feel better for it - wheat is the main culprit for my acne)

2. Cut out all dairy except butter, yogurt and kefir (probiotic fermented milk drink).

3. Aim for 7-8 portions of veg and 3-4 of fruit a day.

4. Include fermented foods at least once a day in your diet (your gut health is connected with everything - how you absorb vitamins, how you digest foods etc) think sauerkraut, kimchee, kefir, live yogurt.

5. Make big batches of bone broth and have a cup a day. The vitamins and minerals you get from this are invaluable to both your general and skin health and you really have to stick to it.

6. Limit meat intake and ensure it's organic (ie free of hormones)

7. Have a handful of nuts a day for healthy fats.

Essentially you should try and live off the following

1. Raw fruit and veg - loads of leafy greens especially. Juices, smoothies, salads it doesn't matter!

2. High quality meat and fish.

3. Nuts and seeds.

4. Bone broth. (If you don't know what this is just google it and it will all be clear)

5. Fermented foods and yogurt.

If you stick to this you should have no need for any supplements but if you want the following have always been beneficial for me

1. Cod liver oil

2. Evening primrose oil

3. Milk thistle.

This is literally it. The only 4 things I do to maintain my skin health are the following.

1. Get at least 15 minutes of direct sun a day.

2. Wash my face with diluted apple cider vinegar.

3. Exfoliate with a body brush and face brush every morning (remember to wash them after using them)

4. Moisturise with natural oils (jojoba for face and coconut for body)

I know this isn't for everyone and a lot of people won't believe it or stick with it for it to work, but it's worked for me, my brother and 3 friends. Each of us with varying (but severe) types of acne. When your dermatologist tells you acne isn't connected with diet please please please don't listen. It is. If it's not how else can you explain the fact that indigenous cultures have almost 0% incidence of acne with their plant based diet (no grain/refined sugar) and the US and UK seem to be the worst affected (especially in the places with less sun).